FONDS DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE- FNRS

Their core work

F.R.S.-FNRS is Belgium's French-speaking community national research funding agency. Rather than conducting research itself, it funds researchers and co-finances transnational research calls across virtually every scientific domain. In H2020, it acted as a national funding body within ERA-NET Cofund actions — pooling Belgian research funds with other countries to launch joint calls in areas from neurodegenerative diseases to quantum technologies. Its participation signals that Belgian researchers in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles have access to co-funded grants in the given topic.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014-2018, FNRS joined a broad mix of ERA-NETs covering health (rare diseases, cancer, systems medicine), water management, humanities, and early energy/urban topics. From 2018 onward, the portfolio shifted noticeably toward FET Flagships, quantum technologies, biodiversity/nature-based solutions, climate change adaptation, and open science — reflecting both EU policy priorities and Belgium's growing investment in deep-tech and environmental research. The later period also shows more structured engagement with strategic research agendas and co-funded calls rather than one-off participations.

FNRS is increasingly channeling funds toward climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, and frontier technologies (quantum, FET), making it a relevant funding partner for consortia in these growing areas.

How they like to work

FNRS never coordinates — it joins exclusively as a participant, which is typical for national funding agencies in ERA-NET actions. With 395 unique partners across 69 countries, it operates as a broad-network funding node rather than a research collaborator. Working with FNRS means gaining access to Belgian (Wallonia-Brussels) co-funding for transnational research calls; they are a gateway to Belgian researchers, not a research performer themselves.

Exceptionally wide network: 395 unique partners across 69 countries, reflecting their role as a national funding body in pan-European ERA-NET consortia. Connections span virtually every EU member state plus Africa and beyond through programmes like LEAP-AGRI.

What sets them apart

FNRS is not a research lab — it is a national funding agency for Belgium's French-speaking research community. Its value in a consortium is institutional: it commits Belgian national funds to match EU co-funding in ERA-NET calls, ensuring Belgian researchers can participate. For consortium builders, including FNRS means unlocking Wallonia-Brussels research capacity and national co-financing across nearly any scientific domain.

Highlights from their portfolio

• QuantERA
  Major ERA-NET Cofund in quantum technologies with €138K EC contribution — positions FNRS at the center of Europe's quantum research funding network.
• BiodivERsA3
  Long-running biodiversity ERA-NET (2015-2022) consolidating the European Research Area on biodiversity and ecosystem services, a flagship environmental programme.
• LEAP-AGRI
  EU-Africa research partnership on food security — FNRS's largest single EC contribution (€158K) and its most globally-oriented project, extending beyond Europe.